


Shoot Straight, Fly Right

by catwalksalone



Series: Beyond the Gulag [4]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Canon relationship negotiation, Clothed Sex, Developing Relationship, Episode Related, Multi, Non-canon relationship sex, Reunion Sex, Team Dynamics, not so casual sex, still not exactly hate sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 10:41:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7099552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catwalksalone/pseuds/catwalksalone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, or how to communicate in words and gestures. (Missing scenes from 110 and 111.)</p><p>  <em>"Well, this is certainly whole new levels of awkward. How do I…? Okay. So." He took one of Kendra's hands in his and squinted at her out of the corner of his eye. "You are...not...the first person on this ship that I've slept with."</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	Shoot Straight, Fly Right

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's been a while. Sorry about that. Hopefully there are still a couple of you out there who want to see what happened next! Enjoy, if you do. There will probably be more, but I don't know when, so apologies in advance for that, too.
> 
> First line is a direct quote from the show, but all the rest is mine, I'm pretty sure.

"Look, Ray, Carter is my past," said Kendra. "You are my future."

She kissed him and he smiled, holding her close. Ray had given on up on classifying 'a day' as different from any other day. They all seemed to turn out the same way: time got screwed, someone got beat up--mentally or physically or both--Rip sighed, and 2016 retreated a little further into the mist. This one stood out because this time he'd taken an emotional beating and maybe his bones were grateful for the reprieve; his heart, though, that was only starting to climb out from behind the barricade where it had hidden at the double punch of potential love-child and Carter. It would take more than a kiss to fix that.

At least Kendra had been honest about her feelings for a dead guy. It wasn't like he couldn't empathise; he'd been there himself moving on from Anna with Felicity. All Kendra's situation was that exact same thing turned up to eleven. It should be straightforward. But there was this unreachable itch at the base of his skull that had been there since their little excursion to Nanda Parbat and if it was cards on the table time, then he needed to suck it up and play his Ace of Spades.

Ray rubbed a thumb across Kendra's cheek and pulled away. "Um. This is going to sound weird. Probably. You want to sit down?" He patted the space next to him. 

Kendra sat, eyebrows raised. "Weirder than a love-child that turned out not to be yours?"

"You're gonna have to call it, I'm afraid. It's…" Ray swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, this is certainly whole new levels of awkward. How do I…? Okay. So." He took one of Kendra's hands in his and squinted at her out of the corner of his eye. "You are...not...the first person on this ship that I've slept with."

"You and Sara? When? No way! You are so not her type."

Ray squeezed Kendra's hand. "Nope. Not Sara."

Kendra frowned. "Then I don't und...Oh." Her eyes widened. "Ohhhh. Okay. That's. Okay. I did not know that about you, but it's all good. I still don't get who-"

"Snart," interrupted Ray, desperate for her not to match him up with each of his male teammates in turn. "It was. Is. Was Snart."

Kendra's mouth open and closed without a sound.

"Say something?" Ray pleaded, the itch in his skull spreading across his neck and shoulders. He made a fist with his free hand, resisting clawing at the aggravated skin.

"But you don't even like each other."

Ray wanted to argue with that, but he couldn't, at least not without diagrams and annotated references. "It's complicated?" he offered instead.

"Huh," said Kendra. "Interesting. Like, just once?"

Ray shook his head.

"Okay. Not while we…"

"No. No. I mean, almost once after you and I kissed that first time. But. Well, then we got marooned in space-time and I fell in love with you so that happened."

"But?"

"But?"

"There has to be a but, Ray, or you wouldn't be telling me."

Ray gritted his teeth and adjusted his grip on her hand, lacing their fingers together. This was the tough part. "The last time, when we were on our way to, um, dispose of Mick, I said we couldn't any more because of you and he basically laughed me out of the park. And I know that's...and it's been two years and I love you, I do, but when I saw him in Nanda Parbat it was like...I don't know how to tell you. It was like a fist to the gut that you want. That you _crave_. Does that make any sense at all?"

Kendra's face was carefully blank. "I think so. I can't exactly cast the first stone here, can I?"

Ray let himself try out a smile. "So many variables," he said. "What would the equation look like? I am to you as Snart is to me? Plus Carter squared?"

Kendra screwed up her eyes. "You plus me divided by Carter equals Leonard?" She smiled back at him.

"The factors of you are me and Carter, minus Snart equals proof of impossibility?" 

"It's not gonna fit is it?" Kendra was full on grinning now.

"Nope!" Ray broke first, but then Kendra started giggling, too. 

She leaned into him, shaking with laughter. Ray slipped his hand from hers and threaded his arm around her shoulder. 

"Oh god, we are such a disaster," Kendra said, laughter still bubbling around her words. 

"It's not the same. I mean, we're not fated or anything, but...but I don't feel like I have any choice."

Kendra stiffened. "That's coercion, Ray. I will hawk out on his ass if he's been forcing you, see if I don't."

"And I appreciate that," said Ray, pressing a kiss into her hair. "Truly. But no, it's not like that."

"Could you say no to him?"

"I don't want to? I will for you. But." Ray sighed. This was a ridiculous situation to be in. Kendra was heroic and fierce and sweet and kind and he was a gigantic idiot to even be thinking about Snart at all. Maybe the ostensible damage to his limbic system he'd taken back in the gulag was more extensive than he'd thought. Maybe Gideon had missed something vital, like neurons coming unshored. Maybe he was just a selfish prick who wanted more than he deserved.

"You'd like my blessing to fuck Leonard?"

"Well that's...I mean, to the point, but...Kinda? Like, I don't know if he still wants to. It's been years."

"For us, not him." Her shoulders were tense, stretched taut like a rubber band the millisecond before it snapped.

"Good point."

"You want to talk to him about it?"

"Talking's not so much a thing we do."

"Oh really?" 

Ray could feel the tendrils of Kendra's interest wrapping around him, the slight relaxation in her posture simultaneously a relief and a threat. She wasn't going to let him off easy and it wasn't like he could blame her. He braced for impact.

"What _do_ you do?" She paused. "Okay, so not the actual specifics probably."

Ray nodded rapidly. "We fight, we fuck. Except that one time which was more fool around, red alert, abort, abort. The usual."

Kendra snorted. "The usual, right. What would happen if you had a fight and didn't...take it to the next level?"

Ray shrugged. "He'd mock me for being under your thumb and come up with some inventive names to call me most likely."

"But he'd honor your choice?"

"Almost definitely. Eventually. I don't know if you'd noticed this about Snart, but he's mighty persuasive and he's used to taking what he wants."

"I guess it's easier to do that when what you want to steal wants to be stolen."

Ray took in a deep breath, air chafing against the sudden rawness in his chest. "Listen, forget about it. I don't want to-"

"No, Ray, listen," Kendra straightened up, resting a hand on Ray's thigh. He stared at the elegant curve of her fingers. What she could do with those fingers... "Even though Carter isn't here I'm holding him in my heart at the same time as you and expecting you to go ahead and deal with that. If he were here." She took her hand back, shoving it with the other one between her legs. "I'm not going to lie to you, my ego just took a light beating and this...wasn't something I was ever expecting. Especially not with you." She bumped her head off his shoulder. 

"Me?"

"I don't need to put butter in your mouth to check it won't melt, is my point." Ray frowned and opened his mouth to reply, but Kendra barreled on through. "But look, what I'm saying is I wouldn't want to choose between you and Carter and I wouldn't want you to make me. I'd hate it. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I expected any different from you?" 

"The usual kind?" 

"Ain't nothin' usual about me," said Kendra with an exaggerated wink, and Ray jumped as a wing stroked his back.

"You're getting way too good at that," he said, hair prickling on the back of his neck as a sudden breeze stirred against him. "But what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that we got this. That bruised egos heal. That you and Leonard can do...whatever it is you do, but I have conditions."

"Name them."

"Not in here. This is our space."

"Agreed."

"And I'm not good with it being public knowledge so try not to be...public."

Ray nodded. "Check."

"If he does anything that makes you want to run, then run. And tell me, okay?"

"He's not...He won't. But I will do both of those things, yes. Anything else?"

Kendra pursed her lips, tucking her chin to her chest. The seconds drew out. Ray could feel his lips twitching. What fresh idiocy was this? Everything had been weird enough between him and Snart before he and Kendra had been stranded in 1958: a disaster waiting to happen. Why should it be different now? His undeservedly awesome girlfriend might be on the verge of giving him a free pass, but what did that even mean? It wasn't as if he was going to head straight off to Snart's quarters, strip down and say, "Let's bone." It could be a free pass to nothing for all he knew. And yet. And yet the queasiness in his stomach told him that once again his body was singing a whole different tune from his brain. The corners of his lips dragged themselves upwards despite himself.

Kendra raised her head. "That's it," she said. "Except if you fall in love with him-"

"Not in a million years," Ray avowed.

" _If_ you fall in love with him," said Kendra, gentle but firm, "you have to tell me. The second you realize it, okay? I need to know, promise me."

"I promise," said Ray, tilting her head up to meet her lips with a soft kiss. "But trust me, there's nothing to worry about on that score. If I knew how to switch this off, believe me, I would."

Kendra wound her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Yeah," she said, the weight of her voice exposing the ancient soul her body housed. "I know."

"All crew to the bridge at once," Gideon announced. "We have a situation."

"Of course we have, it has to be all of thirty minutes since the last one," Ray said, pressing Kendra close before releasing her. He stood and offered his hand. "Come on, let's go."

***

If he were going to quantify it, Ray would have to say that he was one hundred percent _down_ with situations that resulted in going to play--um, hide--in the Old West. His grandma had been a Gary Cooper fan, but for Ray it had always been John Wayne for as long as he could remember. Way back when he was three he'd ridden his wooden horse on wheels so hard he'd gone head first into the sandbox in his backyard. According to his mom he'd sat up, said, "Whoa there, pilgrim," with a mouthful of sand, hauled out his horse and set off again. She'd had to chase him down to get him cleaned up.

The next day she bought him a cowboy hat and a sheriff's badge and it was all over bar the gunfight: Ray was going to be a hero if it killed him. Or his wooden horse.

Looking around the sheriff's office, Ray ran a finger over his brand new badge. Sure seemed like his time had come at last. This was way too exciting. He put a hand on his stomach and scanned the room for a trash can, just in case. Finding one hidden just behind the sheriff's desk, he breathed out, reassured.

"Let us out," said one of the men in lockup. "We di'n't do nothin'. Sheriff has it out for us, is all."

"I'll take that under advisement," said Ray, intending to do no such thing. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a criminal gang to contend with and for that I'll need...a criminal. No. Not you."

He went to the doorway and looked out into the dull dawn. Grey clouds were threaded with pink as the sun tried to force its way through their midst, rippling the gloom that filled the main street with the hope of a brighter day. It had rained in the night and the dirt road was mottled with puddles. On the steps of the saloon Mick, Jax and Snart stood in a huddle, talking in low voices. At least Mick and Snart seemed to be resolving their differences, he thought, even if had taken the bruises all over Snart's face and who knew where else to do it. Being unmoored in time was unsettling at the best of times. How much harder if you lost your anchor? Criminals or not, the two of them were as much symbiotes as Jax and Stein. Ray's chest tightened and he coughed. Weren't the old days supposed to have the good air? 

Snart looked over towards him, eyes hidden under the brim of his hat. Fuck, but he looked good all dressed up: the man in black. Ray lifted his chin, beckoning him over. He watched Snart murmur something to Mick and take his sweet time making his way over the street.

"Sheriff?" Snart flicked the badge pinned to Ray's coat. "You get this out of a cereal box?"

Ray beamed. Not even Snart's best sarcasm was going to bring him down today. "Honestly, I was just hoping to get deputised, but the previous incumbent obviously developed a yeller streak a mile wide and I got me a new job."

"And you need my help."

"I need your help."

"I'll consider it just as soon as you stop talking like you come in black and white. There's a whole office behind this door, right? It's not a Hollywood flat?"

Ray sighed. Perhaps he needed to rethink his sarcasm scaling system. "You never want me to have any fun."

Snart cocked his head to one side, letting his eyes drift down Ray's body. "Oh, I don't know about _that_."

Ray was used enough to Snart's ability to steal Ray's equilibrium right from under him to power through with only the barest hesitation. "No time for that. It's getting lighter by the minute and we need a plan. Come on."

"Now who's the spoilsport?" drawled Snart, but he followed Ray in, nonetheless.

"This guy?" came a voice from the cell. "What's so special about this guy?"

"I could tell you, but then I'd have to shoot you," said Snart without breaking his stride. 

Ray grinned. Something about being in Salvation made Snart's larger than life threats and posturing seem like they were right at home. He led the way up the stairs.

"I thought you said, 'No fun.'"

"Focus." Ray ignored the mocking quotation marks that Snart might as well have vocalized, walked straight past the unmade bed, empty bottles of scotch littering the small table beside it, and opened up the door onto the balcony. He moved to the side, making space for Snart to join him.

"So what's the plan, _Sheriff_?" Snart leaned his elbows on the rickety, wooden rail and looked up at Ray from under the brim of his hat. 

For a second Ray contemplated the plan being knocking the damn hat off of Snart's head and kissing him until he respected Ray's authority as the law in this town, but there were more pressing matters and that would take more time--and chapstick--than Ray had in his possession.

"The way I see it, the Stillwater gang will ride into town once the sun is up. They have a reputation for terror and despair to protect, so. I intend to confront them as the newly-minted Sheriff of Salvation, but I don't have that much faith in my powers of persuasion versus their moronic desire to be friendly neighborhood dictators. That's where you come in."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I need to look like I have this situation under control. Like I have my own private army. I need a sharpshooter. I need you."

"You _need_ me. Huh." Snart looked out across the street. "And what do I get out of it?"

"Whatever you want." Snart's glance at Ray was full of unholy light and Ray quickly corrected himself. "Within reason. And without breaking any laws."

Snart's lips stretched into a smile that was almost, but not quite, not terrifying. Ray put a hand to his stomach and pressed on it. He really should keep antacids in his pockets at all times. "So where are the best sightlines?"

"Hmm. They'll be on horseback. You stop them before they pass the sheriff's office, I'd say saloon balcony, east side. They'll be too busy laughing themselves silly at your shiny star to see me in the periphery. You want me to plug Jeb Stillwater?"

"No. No! No plugging. Scare them. And don't let anyone shoot me even if that would amuse you, okay?"

Snart sighed and straightened, tugging off his gloves and shoving them in his pockets. "Yes, Sheriff. That all?"

"That's all."

"Well then, slap some bacon on a biscuit and let's go! We're burnin' daylight."

Ray beamed as he turned to go back inside. "Wil Anderson. One of John Wayne's best. I knew you were having fun here, too. And not just with the hat working for you and everything."

Snart crowded him through the door, grabbing the back of his coat to prevent him going further. "You like the hat?"

Ray stilled, wondering if the faint buzzing in his ears was from the anticipation of what might happen next or if there were termites in the walls. "I like the hat." His voice sounded loud in his head, so it was probably the anticipation thing. He wasn't ruling out a personal termite invasion just yet, though.

The buzzing was disturbed only by the gentle click of the balcony door closing and the quiet, steadiness of Snart's breath, cool against Ray's neck. If Ray hadn't been a scientist he'd have been sure his own heartbeat was audible at least as far away as the Stillwater's camp. He took a deep breath, trying to fill lungs that seemed suddenly inadequate for his needs and felt Snart's knuckles dig harder into his back.

"I've...I'd forgotten." _You,_ he didn't add. _I'd forgotten what it was like to be the focus of your attention, the butterfly struggling on your pin._

__"Been a long time, huh?"_ _

__"Two years."_ _

__Ray could feel Snart go rigid behind him, the absence of his breath leaving an incongruously loud silence that crawled unpleasantly over Ray's skull. It lasted only a moment, Snart releasing his grip on Ray's coat and sliding a hand around him to cup his groin._ _

__"Let's see if you remember _this._ " He squeezed and Ray gasped, light-headed, a sweeping rush of sensation as his body responded to the sudden arousal. Humans had evolved for this, to do this, chemicals and cells working in synergy to seek for pleasure, to create a little madness in a world already full of it. Why shouldn't Ray surrender? _ _

__"Fuck it," said Ray, and twisted in Snart's loose grasp. He flicked the hat backwards off Snart's head as he moved in, kissing him for the first time in years. He slid his tongue over the crease of Snart's lips, heart speeding as Snart opened up to him. They kissed hard, fast and brutal, Snart nipping at Ray's lip. Ray had forgotten how this felt, the way Snart assumed control without any fanfare or discussion._ _

__For a second he was dizzy with disorientation: he was so used to stooping for Kendra, small and strong, so used to negotiation and the shorthand of familiarity. He winced, the goody-two-shoes armor he wore tightening against this deviation from protocol. But then Snart moved his hips and Ray powered the armor down. There wasn't time to worry, he wasn't doing anything wrong. And--oh, fuck--his body was already humming with it. He kissed harder, moving down Snart's jawline and neck, biting down against the tendon where it met his collarbone. He let his hand drift down over Snart's holster, the heel of his hand pressing into Snart's groin and was rewarded with Snart's throat vibrating against his lips as he grunted an exhale. Ray could fight dirty when he wanted to: no one ever asked him._ _

__He pulled back, looking into Snart's darkened eyes. God, it was good to see that. To see that the ice king could melt even a little. He reached up to the bruise by Snart's eye, wondering if it would somehow be wet to the touch, but Snart met his wrist with the back of his hand, shoving him away._ _

__"That's not yours to touch."_ _

__Ray caught his breath and said nothing. Instead he kept his eyes on Snart's, set his jaw and pushed at his coat. _I'm not backing down,_ he was saying. At least he hoped like hell that's what he was saying. _This is what's happening and you can go along or you can get out._ After a brief moment, Snart's lips curled almost invisibly at one corner and he began to remove his coat. Ray took the opportunity to attack Snart's holster. The buckle was old and stiff and resisted Ray's lust-stupid fingers. _ _

__"Fucking fuck!"_ _

__"Slow down, Sheriff," said Snart, the coat a black pool at his feet like he was some kind of demon Ray had summoned. "What's the rush?"_ _

__Ray raised his eyebrows and met Snart's eyes, the glint in them frustrating him as it had done so many times before. "Seriously? Two years, plus there's a murderous gang riding into town any time now."_ _

__Snart inclined his head. "This round to you. Please, let me assist you."_ _

__With Snart's help the holster joined the coat in seconds and Ray got to work on his button fly. That came open much more easily and Ray was rewarded with a waft of heat and musk as Snart's cock was freed. He swallowed._ _

__"Commando. I like it," he said, and went to his knees. Every second that Snart wasn't in his mouth seemed like a second wasted. He steadied himself on one thigh, grabbed the base of Snart's cock with one hand and licked the length of the shaft, sucking it in fast and hard, taking as much in as he could. It suddenly seemed like the most important thing in the world. Somewhere in the distance, Snart was shoving his pants down over his hips, fingers pushing Ray's hand out of the way. Ray took the opportunity to slide further around, to grasp Snart's ass in a firm grip, kneading at him in rhythm to the mouth on his cock._ _

__He was full: his nose, his mouth, his hands, his brain, full of Snart. It was too much. It could never be enough. He was a failed experiment: too many variables. He was- Fuck, he wasn't even touching himself and he was already close. Too soon. Too soon._ _

__Snart's voice cut through his haze. "Damn, does your lady know about where your mouth has been?"_ _

__Ray froze, his arousal dampened like Snart had tossed a blanket over his electrical fire. He pulled off, rocking back on his heels and looked up at Snart, hoping he looked half as self-assured as he felt. "We discussed it, actually."_ _

__Snart narrowed his eyes, something dark chasing across his face. "Look at you with all your communication and honesty, Boy Scout."_ _

__"Eagle. How many- Never mind. I'm sorry you're so surprised people in relationships can act like adults."_ _

__"Adults? Exactly who's playing dr-"_ _

__Ray took hold of Snart's cock and waggled it like a gear stick. "This is working in your favor, so I'd quit while you were ahead if I were you."_ _

__Snart snapped his teeth together and Ray hastily retrieved his hand._ _

__"Okay." Snart said."I'll quit. For head."_ _

__"Really? That's all you got?" Ray took a moment to let himself be proud that he'd, for once, gotten the better of Snart. Then Snart wrapped a hand around his cock and slowly jerked it, his smirk at full stretch and it didn't matter at all any more. He'd missed this, whatever game they were playing, whatever horrible experiment it turned out to be. He didn't understand it, but he'd missed it. Even the sarcasm._ _

__"I believe that's mine," he said, trailing a finger over the tip of Snart's cock. "Give it back."_ _

__"As you wish."_ _

__Was that a- No. This wasn't the time for movie bonding. Ray took Snart back in and fought hard against the urge to laugh. That way led to injury for at least one of them. Fuck. _Fuck_. How could he have forgotten? Snart lay heavy and hot on his tongue, robbing him of words, but filling him with something else, something indefinable. Ray's arousal swept up through his body, he was hot, so hot, too hot, too many clothes, but there was no time to- No time. He got a hand to his pants, fighting against the holster strap with increasing futility. _ _

__Finally, he managed to get the top two buttons of his pants undone and rutted into his hand as he sucked at Snart's cock, the sourness flooding his mouth with saliva. Snart's hand was in his hair, digging into his scalp, not controlling: holding on._ _

__"Raymond," said Snart in his something-is-about-to-go-down warning tone. " _Ray_ " _ _

__Snart started to shake and he let out a bitten-off cry. Ray barely had time to register the pulses warm and slick on the back of his tongue before they slid down his throat. There was a part of Ray that didn't want to let go, but Snart was withdrawing, bumping over Ray's lip, the sharp pinpricks of hair held too tight dissolving to a gentle throb of memory. For a second, Ray was lost and then Snart was on his knees, doing what was necessary to get Ray free and clear. And then his hand closed over Ray's, curling Ray's fingers around himself, letting Ray keep to his own beat. His other hand grasped at Ray's shoulder, tugging him forward for a kiss, hot and deep, as if Snart was trying to get himself back._ _

__Leave nothing behind, thought Ray, and that was enough to tip him over the edge. Snart pulled away as Ray's orgasm tore through him, cupping the head of Ray's cock as he came. Ray's thigh muscles relaxed without warning and he sat back on his heels._ _

__"What are you gonna do with-"_ _

__And that's when Ray understood that mischief was a child born of evil and innocence as Snart met his eyes, raised his hand to his mouth, said, "No muss, no fuss," and licked himself clean._ _

__There was probably something he should be saying right now, Ray thought. But his body had knocked his brain out for the count, basking in its victory. He could only stare. So that's what he did._ _

__Snart stood, neatening his clothes and buckling on his holster. "The communication thing," he said, pulling on his gloves with deliberate care. "That was good."_ _

__Ray's stomach swooped as if they'd just come out of a time jump. He was definitely just as disoriented. "You give a shit," he said, testing the flavor of the words, rolling them delicately around his mouth. "Wow. You actually...Wow."_ _

__Snart swirled his coat on, Ray ducking out of its way as the tails flew over his head. "You tell yourself that if you like. Feathers has lived with enough lies. That's all this is."_ _

__"Sure." Ray's head was full of white noise and he barely noticed as Snart grabbed a rifle set above the dresser and swept out of the room. With half an ear he listened to the footsteps retreating down the stairs, to the shape of sharp-flat voices and the swinging thud of a door closing. Ray squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head hard, hoping like hell it would dislodge something even vaguely resembling a coherent thought._ _

__"Well," he told himself. "That went well. I think." He tidied himself up, adjusting his cravat in the reflection of a copper jug filled with dead flowers. He touched the brittle petals and they crumbled under his fingers, dusting the already cluttered surface. Slowly, Ray drew a line in the dust and then another and another until he realized he'd drawn the Atom symbol. _Ray was here_ , he thought. Did it make this more real, leaving some part of himself behind like he'd left behind his life in 1958? No, of course not, you goober. This wasn't even remotely the same thing. Ray rolled his eyes at himself, blurred out the pattern with a quick sweep of his hand and made his way downstairs._ _

__"Some strange kind of plannin' goin' on up there, Sheriff."_ _

__Ray's fists clenched, but he didn't respond, instead sitting behind his desk and slinging his feet up on it. He leaned back, hands behind his head and gave himself a second to bask in his sheriffhood._ _

__"Tell you what. You let us out and reckon we won't say nothin' to no one about how you been pervertin' nature and all."_ _

__"Or I could not." There were far bigger fish to fry, after all. It wasn't as if Ray needed to be concerned about being run out of town. Having sex with a guy was the least of their potential time crimes._ _

__Ray tuned out the kvetching criminals and thought about the plan. What should he lead with? _Get in line, before I kick you so hard you be wearin' your ass for a hat…_? How about, _Young fella, if you’re looking for trouble I’ll accommodate ya_? Probably not, _Please go away now and leave these lovely townsfolk alone._ That was what Ray would say and he wasn't Ray. Not now. He was John Wayne, Sheriff of Salvation because that was exactly who the townsfolk needed him to be._ _

__Ray swallowed. It would be fine. He wasn't alone in this: Snart was ready and waiting and Ray trusted him to do his part. There wasn't even a second of doubt. Snart's tossed away joke, "Never leave a man behind," in the gulag was more than that, had always been more than that. Snart would have his back, whatever happened out there. Ray grinned. Obviously the guy would betray Ray in a hot second if there was money in it for him and it wasn't life or death, but here in Salvation that's exactly what Snart would be._ _

__The dull thud of faraway hooves floated in through the open window, getting louder with each passing second. Ray's feet clattered to the floor. He shifted forward in his seat and then thought better of it. Instead he closed his eyes, breathed in deeply and opened them again._ _

__Sheriff John Wayne of Salvation stood, smoothed his coat, squared his shoulders and walked out of the door._ _


End file.
